Your Questions: How do I get my six-month old pug to stop humping everything?

Cahal Milmo

Cahal Milmo is the chief reporter of The Independent and has been with the paper since 2000. He was born in London and previously worked at the Press Association news agency. He has reported on assignment at home and abroad, including Rwanda, Sudan and Burkina Faso, the phone hacking scandal and the London Olympics. In his spare time he is a keen runner and cyclist, and keeps an allotment.

Q. I have a six-month-old pug called Harry. I've had him since he was 10 weeks old and he's done the normal puppy things. But lately he's started to hump everything, mostly other dogs – male or female – voraciously and with no mercy! And now he's starting to chase other dogs for this purpose. I don't know what to do. I'm afraid I'm going to be banned from the park – help! Jocelyn, Wimbledon

A. I know from experience how embarrassing it is to have a puppy whose affections go somewhat overboard! Even when you stop your pup jumping on other dogs, there's a good chance he'll just hump the air instead. The thing is, puppies learn this behaviour from a very early age. Some display it as soon as you get them home, usually because they get overexcited during play sessions.

Sometimes you can combat this type of behaviour by putting them in a room on their own to calm down. In your case, your dog has simply become an adult; his hormones are becoming active, and he is developing new urges.

Of course, it's a natural instinct for dogs to want to reproduce, but you need to make the decision whether or not you want them to be able to do that. Some people will say let him have one go. I think this is cruel because the dog will always know what he's missing – and if you don't have him neutered, he'll very likely go and find a bitch in season.

Some of the pros of neutering: he will be less likely to roam, urinate in the house, mount you or other dogs – and there are health benefits as well. The chances of him getting prostate cancer and other types of the disease are significantly reduced. The cons include the fact that the texture of his fur might change and he may become increasingly hungry, so you will have to adjust his meals and exercise so that he doesn't get fat. All my male dogs have been neutered and I'm certain it didn't change their personality. Good luck with your decision.

Remember that if an animal shows signs of distress or discomfort an early visit to the vet is always recommended

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